NE­GO­TI­A­TION

YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE BUT YOUR TODDLER IS RUN­NING AWAY AND SCREAM­ING ‘NO!’ HOW CAN YOU GET HIM OUT THE DOOR? A Say ‘Right, that’s it. I’m, leav­ing now!’ and pre­tend to go out. B Give in to his tantrums and stay in to watch ABC Kids in­stead. C Be firm that you are leav­ing now and pick him up.

THE BEST OP­TION: C

“Tod­dlers’ brains are not de­vel­oped well enough to be mo­ti­vated by the fear of be­ing left alone, so don’t ex­pect him to do what you say when you threaten to leave,” says Dr Fin. For an older toddler, use an ac­tiv­ity as a ne­go­ti­a­tion tool. “Say, ‘If you do this now to help Mummy, then when we get back, we can set up a train track’. For a younger child, of­fer the op­tion of choos­ing a toy to bring with him”. Then pick him up and leave.